Google has added a feature to their site that allows you to search the
U.S. Patent Office database.  Surf on over to

    http://www.google.com/patents

and enter your favorite inventor's name or your area of interest.

As an example, here's a patent for an improvement to the musical box by
Paillard:

    http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT105972

John Haskey
Bonny Doon, California